REASON FOR RECONAISSANCE

In the early part of April 1946, the management of Trans-Arabian Pipe Line Company decided to investigate the possibility of routing the pipe line by way of the Gulf of Aqaba, rather than into Palestine and Lebanon as recommended in the pipe line prospectus of May 31, 1945. This decision was prompted in part by the desire of the Egyptian Government to have the pipe line terminate in their country, but another consideration was the possibility of building a short line from Aqaba or Suez to by-pass the Suez Canal. Such a line would return a considerable fraction of the saving promised by the Trans-Arabian line, and would of course, be quicker and much less expensive to construct. If it were found practicable and economical later on to route the main Trans -Arabian line into Aqaba, the short by-pass would not only serve its own purposes but would become an integral and useful portion of the final project. The Aqaba route also offered at least a possibility of keeping the Trans-Arabian line out of Trans-Jordan and Palestine although it was realized that to avoid these countries entirely a short section of the line would have to be laid under water.

SCOPE OF WORK

Accordingly., Mr. Oscar Wolfe of The Texas Company and Mr. S. P. Johnson of the Standard Oil Company of California were instructed to reconnoiter the pipe line route into Aqaba and to compare its probable cost with that of a pipe line built into Palestine. They were also instructed to investigate and compare the four possible routes for lines to by-pass the Suez Canal numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the attached Map No, 1. Wolfe and Johnson were accompanied by Mr. R. A. Bramkamp of the Aramco Geological Staff and, after May 19, by Mr. W. R. Chandler of Standard of California, who was sent over to carry the reconnaissance somewhat beyond its original scope. Incidental to the main purpose of their mission, Wolfe and Johnson also examined more than half of the original, or northern route ("A" on attached Map No. 1) on the ground.